Introduction:     Notice in verse 7 of our text that Peter instructs us to add to our faith...."brotherly kindness" ....brotherly love. We've been studying this passage for the last three weeks and we have been learning the Habits of Highly Effective Christians. Highly effective Christians...1) Practice Spiritual Diligence 2) Cultivate A Passion for Virtue 3) Concentrate On Increasing Biblical Knowledge  4) Develop Temperance... Spiritual Discipline. 5) Maintain Spiritual Endurance. 6) Strive To Be Godly and then tonight we are going to see that the Highly Effective Christian....Demonstrates Brotherly Love. (Illus: “Everybody treats me that way.”) There are a lot of people in our world who might say, "Everybody treats me that way."  We live in a cold, lonely, impersonal society where those who take time to care for others are the exception not the rule. Within the Body of Christ, caring for one another should be the rule not the exception. When an individual receives Jesus as their Savior, we not only enter into a relationship with Him, but with every believer. If we are going to be serious about our spiritual growth then we must make it the habit of our spiritual lives to demonstrate "Brotherly Kindness". How do we do accomplish that? I believe we accomplish that by making sure that our care for one another is marked by three things. First of all, our brotherly love should be marked by...

I.          HONESTY

Look with at 1 Peter 1:22.  Here reminded that our salvation results in having an "unfeigned love of the brethren". Underline the word "unfeigned". To feign something is to pretend. Peter uses a term that literally means... without hypocrisy.

·        (Rom 12:9-10)  "Let love be without *dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good. {10} Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;"

(* undissembled, i.e. sincere:- without dissimulation (hypocrisy), unfeigned.)

·        (1 John 3:17-18)  "But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? {18} My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth."

“Bowels” = inward affection, + tender mercy. To love in deed and in truth means that our love and caring for one another must be both active and authentic. Did you know that most people who are searching for a church home say..."We want a church where people really care about each other."  I believe that every church should strive to be a caring church. However, caring churches are made up of caring individuals. Individuals who honestly seek to meet one another’s needs. Our love for each other should be marked first by HONESTY. Secondly, it should be marked by...

II.         HEALING

When I say "healing", I am saying that in the sense of us "bearing one another’s burdens". True "brotherly love" reaches out to those who are hurting. Look with me in:

·        (Gal 6:1-2) "Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. {2} Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ."

Note the law of Christ... John 13:34 “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love

one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.” Just like the story Jesus told in Luke 10 about the Good Samaritan....we need to respond to each other with the kind of caring that says when my brother is hurting, I'm going to do what I can do to take care of him. We won't have a "HEALING" love though if we are…

1) Self Centered

Remember in the parable of the Good Samaritan, the man who was robbed, wounded, and left for dead was passed by a "priest" and a "Levite". Both were busy, important men. Perhaps their minds were absorbed with their jobs in the Temple. Far too often we fail to care for those who are hurting because we don't want any interruption in our own plans.

2) If We Stay Isolated From Others

People in church are often masters at this. We make small talk and speak superficially because we are afraid of getting involved with others.

3) If we don't listen when someone expresses a need.

4)  If We Think Someone Else Should Help.

When some people hear about a problem in another person’s life, the first thing they do is call the pastor. Listen, each of us has a responsibility to demonstrate love. God may make you aware of a need because He wants to use you in the process of meeting the need.

5) If we think Problems will Solve Themselves.

"Don't get involved! They'll work it out." Let's have a love that is Honest.  A Love that is Healing, and then finally…our love for one another should be marked by...

III.       HUMILITY

Humility - What does humility have to do with demonstrating "brotherly" love? Humility must be a part of this equation because PRIDE WILL KEEP US FROM DOING WHAT BROTHERLY LOVE REQUIRES. Brotherly love requires that we...1) Right our Wrongs 2) Forgive When Offended

(Col 3:12-13)  "Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; {13} Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye."

Conclusion:       (Illus: Two men were heading by dog sled to their outpost in Alaska). The snowstorm was soon over and the two were safe, but down the path was a dead man with a dog sled...all alone. We are never more like Jesus than when we exhibit compassion. We can love each other…because we have been loved so greatly.